Periodic wave generator



July 4, 1950 L. M. HARRIS, JR

PERIODIC WAVE GENERATOR Filed May 13, 1948 FIG.|

4 )TEA A,

E/ J F/ INVENTOR. LESLIE M. HARRIS JR. BYJ

ATTORNEY Patented July 4, 1950 I Stromberg-Carlson New York Company, a corporation of Application May 13, 194s; Serial Nb; 2635s This invention relates ators and more particularly to sweep frequency generators useful in television receiving sets.

It is an object of my invention to provide a new and improved sweep frequency generator. In accordance with my inventiomthere is provided a source of periodically recurring voltage, the period corresponding to the period of the desired output or sweep wave. The periodically recurring voltage may conveniently be developed by periodically charging and discharging a'capacitor and applying the potential appearing across the capacitor to the control electrode or grid of 'a pair of electron discharge devices whose anodes are connected together. Means are provided utilizing the recurring voltage for developing a periodic wave of the same periodicity as the first mentioned voltage but of generally parabolic waveform, as by providing a resistor in the oathode-to-ground connection of one of the discharge devices. Means is then provided for applying a predetermined portion of theparabolic voltage to the grids of the discharge devices in such phase and sense as substantially to improve the linearity of the current wave in the output of the aforementioned discharge devices. A second periodic wave is developed in the second discharge tube utilizing the voltage applied to the control electrodes. The second waveform is added to the output of the first discharge device by reason of the common connection between anodes, the addition further improving the linearity of the output current wave. By properly choosing the output transformer, linearity may be still further improved. As the result of the foregoing steps a substantially linear waveform may be provided in the secondary of an output transformer.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds, and the features of novelty which characterize my invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification. For a better understanding of my invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a circuit diagram illustrating one embodiment of my invention and Fig. 2 is a series of charts depicting typical voltage and current waveforms plotted on a common time axis.-

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 1, a suitable capacitor4 isconnected to a suitable source of direct current potential as indicated by the numeral 5 for charging the capacitor 4 through serially-connected resistors. 6..-

4..C1aims. (otesc-j-gify to periodic wave gener I and 1. If preferred, a single resistor of suitable value may be provided. The other side of capacitor 4 is connected to tap 8 of a resistor 9 which may be of the potentiometer type in order to facilitate adjustment of the circuit. The junction of capacitor 4 and resistor 6 is shown connected tea-suitable source of synchronizing pulses. The source may constitute an electron discharge device It! normally biased to cutoff but adapted to be triggered by an external synchronizing source represented by rectangular pulse waveform II,

the pulses recurring periodically in synchronism with the desired output wave. The junction of capacitor land resistor 6 is also connected to the control electrode or grid I3 of a suitable electron discharge device I4 through a coupling capacitor I2. The electron discharge device I4 may be a triode, as shown, or one-half of a double triode, or any other suitable device. The grid circuit of ischarge device I4 is completed by grid resistor The cathode circuit comprises the cathode bias resistor 9 which is only partially bypassed by capacitor I8 at the repetition frequency of synchronizing waveform l I.

There is also provided a second electron discharge device 20 which may also be a triode, as illustrated or the other half of a double triode, for example. The control electrode or grid IQ of discharge device 20 is connected to the grid I3 of electron discharge device I4. Both anode I6 of discharge device I4 and anode 22 of discharge device 20 are connected to a suitable source of positive potential, indicated by the reference numeral 28, through an inductive element such as the primary winding 26 of a suitable output transformer 21. Discharge device 20 is preferably biased virtually to cutoff by serially-connected cathode resistors 23 and 24, one or both of which may be adjustable. A single suitable resistor may be substituted if desired. Cathode 2! is preferably completely bypassed to ground at the operating frequency by capacitor 25.

The secondary Winding 29 of transformer 21 is adapted to be connected to an output device 30 which, for example, may be magnetic deflection means for a cathode ray tube. If damping means is required, as will be better understood from the further description of my invention, suitable resistance may be provided as indicated generally by the numeral 3|. In some cases, if transient oscillations are found circuit operation may be improved by connecting a suitable ca- I pacitor 32 between grid I9 and cathode M.

During the time when discharge device It is resistors 6 and 1 and the lower potential end of former 21 have substantially the same slope resistor 9. When a pulse H is applied to the throughout the trace portion of the wave. It control electrode of discharge device ID, the latis probable that the current build up in transter conducts and rapidly discharges capacitor 4 former 2! follows an exponential but since the through the lower potential end of resistor 9. The ,5 slope of the resulting curve varies at a rate apalternate charging and discharging produces a proximately opposite to that followed by the comperiodically recurring voltage waveform across bined anode currents, a current wave is produced capacitor 4 which is substantially as sh'own in "having azxsubstantially'iistraighti characteristic. Fig. 2A. A circuit constructed according to the circuit Inasmuch as capacitor l8 provides a high im- 10 of Fig. 1 comprised the following circuit values: pedance cathode return for the alternating current components in discharge device lfl'the pose a 4 e tential of cathode l tends to follow the fiuctua- Capacitor-I2 M tions of potential on grid I32 The -res'ul'ting waveform of cathode potential-is substahtially -that gapacitorj'zfi shown at C in Fig. 2, but the direct current com.. a 1000 M ponent of the cathode potential" serve to :bias f 1 discharge device I4 virtually to cutoff. Consei f 7 2 quently, the anode current which flows infiise 500 Ohms charge device M has the waveform indicated at 20 23 2000 Ohms Q Resistor-'24 -1 1500 ohms.

llransformer 2"L turnsr ratio 10: 1"; 6O

ri' th settin o'f -ta" '8 on-rea, l Depending upo e g p cycle .primary 1m- -sisto'r Spa-eertain proportion ofthecatl-iode po- V ,l tential'g-having' theWaveform shown mpg- 2c, pedance F less is also applied'to grid -lg through capacitor s l 5 than l S in j Qt FFi ""WhiI T have-shown anddescr-ibed a=particu1ar l'forlYliafl'developedFOSS fcapacltor he'f f embodimentofmy invention} itwill be obvious to of thesepotehtial waizeforms has substantially t k ni -th tmth ty h andemodb the 'waveform shown at- Fig'. 2D."- Since resistors ffications.may.ebesmadeewithout d ti glf I are "Se1Cted' t6 1512.8 the -anbde-ourrent' go f t n its ro t jii \F ex. of discharge device zowirtuauy t0 CllfiOfi the mple --th re-majybe-includedvariableresisp quiescentI"conditioni'lapphcation" mm' ancei irr-theground connection between resistors q g 9 39 Waveform "'QTand"l'l'incases wheretransients givediffi'culty. is g ie e 2o Q Q ""Furthermorefany-means*for-causi'ng'discharge of flm eff w ie W capacitor- 4 at "predetermined intervals-may be *-sentedbfiFigsfiB andQE; respectively; are-added utilized: r .i rl a appended by the-aforementioned eonnection of anodes I 5 f o r Ma .lsuchechanges and i o "a'ndljgziiini'paianelproperly'tadfilsfingfithe 'ti'cinsas mayfall within the spirit and-scope of position of tape on resistor- '9 a'nd the 'values' of remy--invntion sisters ZS an'd -Wiythesum' or these-currents cambe -40 ewhat ficiaimlisz I n iade substantially' -l earas -illustrated-in -Fig. ot periodic:wavergeneraterlforl developing "2 This-ediustmerat -is readily made by observsawtoothlwaiveform,alpair in'g thecurrent-waveform ill the and OilC llit-s 'ect n upa i a paths on the cathode ray-oscilloseopeandvarying tap winciudingwane anode? aebathodefuand Control 8' first toward-one 'en'd and then-the other of I i-" electrode;said anodes being *connected together "sister and s irrillltan l y Va y g; i fil i of and 'to 'a' source" of positive'potential; said cons 'f Qiflf optlmum trol"elctrodes%e-ing connected together, one of i de ree inear y. said""d'ischarge "devices being biased--by a first I- have round tha an i r n "m r- "resist-Orin series-withitscathode; the other of the llnearityof the current W'avefolfn'i appeal so' said""dis'chargedevices -being"biased virtually to in* the-output SldOf transformeril, a typical cufiofi mem sstate'the f ofzby.;means f wat?)eforzribeing indicated?irl i iief ql second resistor in series with-itscathode, a l1eved--'that= the flux'existmg m the zrorrofi-the a pa4cit0r eon-nectofibetweenzazsaurce.,ofllpositi transformer at-the -tiine discharge--devices l4 1-,gn 1 n e e mewzpgmt ga and-2 are out Off Cafliwfibdi$$ipfitzai -s first resistor therebyproviding a charging circuit di'ately-so that thetreihsformer secondary current I for a e pgc t s ea a reversesfroma maximum p 'S fi Q fi a capacitor-"at predetermined"intervals; means' fOr "f i a equal but' -im the' 'neg applying the combined potential existing-across dire he 3 andency Sdiilatesbut '-said-= capacitor and-across --that"-po'rtionof said "by-suitable desigzi-of the-transformer rid byithe, e r ger wiu r n ea j a l rg t provision oidarnpins' mea Suitable "mifiedpoint-tdthe-'control electrode of said one resistance 35 oscillatiens are minimiZedJ It -'is upaa w m e 114isaid-.;resi t i determining al'sob'elieved th'at a 'ver'y s-l -6 war-Tent the linearity of-the output waveform- 1 appearin flows 'tlt o'iigh discharge deviees M' and i'fl even at said-ano andume'an'g.foppartiallyibyapass. though the tubes a e il 'y 1117 fl- 5" ing said first re'sistor -at the repetitionfrequency dit'ional damping-results. Therefiore -ib is be- 5 oi sa'jpredete'rmir iedinter vals. -lieve'd that "the oseill'atiens are substaiitfially i Zi -Ina periodie -wave generator for developing damped and as the:-tra'z rsforn1er fiux decays the an outputicurrent of lsawtooth'rwaveform,:aipair -'current builds--up -as' shown in that portion-of -ofl'electron diseharge paths', each of saidpaths Fig'FQG' below the referenc l-inefls-fis th'e' dis- 7 inclu'cli-ng an anode a cathOdea and a control charge devicesm; ain b'ecome conductive the curecfimdei sa d anodes ibein'g iifo ec d together "-rentbuild-up in ensrerme secenaarp zezseonanditofla source ofipositive'potential;zsaidicontrol tinues, inthepositiv'e directiona By prop'e'r choice electiiodes being connected-:together; :one of said ofinductance;the-negative and positive portions c at'lsiodesabeingi connecte'd to' ground through a orthe eurrent wave iii the secondari of tra-ns '75 first resistanceg theother or said-cathodes being connected to ground through a second resistance of value to bias the associated electron discharge device virtually to cutoff in the quiescent state thereof, a, capacitor, said capacitor being connected between a source of positive potential and a predetermined point on said first resistance thereby providing a charging circuit for said capacitor, means for discharging said capacitor at predetermined intervals, means for applying the combined potential existing across said capacitor and across that portion of said first resistance between ground and said predetermined point to the control electrode of said one path, the values of said resistances determining the linearity of the output waveform appearing at said anodes, an output circuit connected to said discharge path including an inductive element disposed so that the combined anode currents flow therethrough whereby the linearity of said output waveform is still further improved, and means for partially by-passing said first'resister at the repetition frequency of said predetermined intervals.

3. In a periodic wave generator for providing a substantially linear output current of sawtooth waveform, a pair of electron discharge devices, each of said devices having an anode, a cathode, and a control electrode; said anodes being connected together in an output circuit; said control electrodes being connected together; a resistor in each cathode circuit; a capacitor; means for periodically charging and discharging said capacitor; means for applying the voltage across said capacitor to said control electrodes whereby there is developed in said output circuit periodic pulses of current of frequency corresponding to the desired output current wave, said pulses having a waveform generally corresponding to the voltage across said capacitor; means utilizing said capacitor for applying a predetermined portion of the voltagle appearing across one of said resistors to said control electrodes for modifying the waveform of the potential applied to said control electrodes, thereby modifying the wave- 6 form of said output pulses; the other resistor being variable for adjusting the bias of said other discharge device in order to modify further the waveform of said output pulses, the values of said resistors determining the linearity of the output waveform.

4. In a periodic wave generator for developing an output current of sawtooth waveform; a pair of electron discharge devices, each having an anode, a cathode, and a control electrode; said anodes being connected together in an output circuit; said control electrodes being connected together; a resistor in each cathode circuit; a capacitor; means for periodically charging and discharging said capacitor; means for applying the voltage across said capacitor to said control electrodes whereby there is developed in said output circuit periodic pulses of current of repetition frequency corresponding to the desired output current wave and waveform generally corresponding to the voltage across said capacitor, means utilizing said capacitor for applying a predetermined portion of the voltage appearing across one of said resistors to said control electrodes for modifying the waveform of the potential applied to said control electrodes, and a capacitor in shunt with said one of said resistors for partially bypassing said one of said resistors at the repetition frequency of said pulses, the values of said resistors determining the linearity of the output waveform.

LESLIE M. HARRIS, JR.

REFERENCES CETED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,126,243 Busse et a1 Aug. 9, 1938 2,183,340 Tolson Dec. 12, 1939 2,237,425 Geiger et al April 8, 1941 2,486,789 Lakatos Nov. 1, 1949 Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,513,722 July 4,1950

LESLIE M. HARRIS, JR.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requirlng correction as follows:

Column 5, line 41, for voltagle read voltage;

and that the said Letters Patent should be read as corrected above, so that.

the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Oflice.

Signed and sealed this 7th day of August, A. D. 1951.

THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Commissioner of Patents. 

